Port Orchard FC reaches Cascadia Premier League Division 1 title game

Port Orchard FC will play for a Cascadia Premier League championship for the second consecutive season Sunday after head coach Patrick Leonard's squad defeated Crossfire 2-1 in the Division 1 semifinal round.

"It was a wild ending and a high-level game throughout," Leonard said.

Port Orchard, which captured the Division 2 title last summer to earn promotion, will face Sharktopus FC at 6 p.m. at the Washington Premier Field Complex in Puyallup. Both teams finished in second place in the divisional standings during the regular season: Port Orchard in the Rainier Division and Sharktopus FC in the Baker Division. Sharktopus knocked off Rainier Division champion Tacoma Stars Reserves 2-1 in a shootout in Friday's other semifinal.

In Friday's semifinal round against Baker Division champion Crossfire, Port Orchard took a 1-0 lead on a goal by former Bainbridge High School player Ben Wilkinson. After Crossfire tied the score, Port Orchard scored the game-winner in stoppage time. With former Central Kitsap players Jake Mackenzie and Kolby Juarez lined up over a free kick, Juarez fired off the initial shot, which Crossfire blocked. Juarez then pounced on the rebound, volleying a shot inside the right post for the winning goal.

"I've had those two standing over free kicks for years now," said Leonard, who coached both Mackenzie and Juarez as Central Kitsap High School's boys coach. "Always like my chances with those two."

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Port Orchard FC reaches Cascadia Premier League Division 1 title game